It took two years, multiple lawsuits, and an eviction notice, but after a lengthy struggle, Shake Shack, restaurateur Danny Meyer’s beloved New York-based hamburger and hot dog chain, will be coming to New York’s Grand Central Terminal, Crain’s reports.

The location, which will be the city’s eighth, will be opening later this year in the space that was recently vacated by Zócalo, a Mexican eatery that had occupied that location for 15 years.

As might have been expected, Zócalo didn’t go down without a fight. The restaurant’s owner, Robert Shapiro, who also owns two locations of Flex Mussels, filed for bankruptcy last fall after suing the Metropolitan Transportation Administration over unfair bidding practices. A court order finally forced him to vacate the premises on April 31, and Shake Shack took over the space May 1.

"We are pleased to be able to move forward at last with our ongoing effort to re-bid the retail spaces in Grand Central," an MTA spokesman told Crain’s. "Doing so in a regularized, periodic way ensures that the public receives the maximum benefit for this valuable retail space."

This will be the first Midtown East location for the growing chain, which is slowly leaving its footprint all across New York City (a new location is also expected to open near Brooklyn’s Barclays Center later this year), the country (another is coming to Las Vegas), and the world (Istanbul, anyone?).

Rate this Story

Dan Myers has been the Eat/Dine Editor for The Daily Meal since November 2012. He lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and the best meal he ever ate was at Jacques-Imo's in New Orleans.